1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a detection method, especially to a method for detecting blood vessel hardening (vascular sclerosis).
2. Description of Related Art
Due to lives under high pressure and delicate foods, high blood pressure has become one of the ten leading causes of death. People not only have to monitor their blood pressure but also control the food intake for prevention of high blood pressure. In recent years, cardiovascular disease has also been one of the ten leading causes of death and has being with an increasing rate according to statistics of the department of health. The cardiovascular disease refers to arterial disease (atherosclerosis) so that a hardening of a blood vessel (vascular sclerosis) is one of important indicators of cardiovascular diseases. Once the hardening of blood vessels is discovered early, the cardiovascular disease can be prevented. Thus people got to monitor their blood pressure and the degree of blood vessel hardening so as to check their health conditions. Therefore, both high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases can be prevented.
Along with increasing incomes, change of population structure, adoption of new medical technology, and some other factors, people have paid more attentions to health and medical and health devices such as blood pressure monitors, glucosemeters, etc., have been essentials for families. Thus it is convenient for users to measure their blood pressure and blood glucose so as to learn their health conditions for disease prevention. Although the medical technology is quite advanced now, there is still no easy way to measure the degree of blood vessel hardening, or an index of vascular stiffness. Thus there is no good measure of vascular stiffness assessment of health conditions. Therefore, cardiovascular disease remains one of the ten leading causes of death.
A conventional way of diagnosis is an intrusion-detection way. The procedures are not only complicated but also time-consuming. Thus the most common index of arterial stiffness adopted now is Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV). It measures the velocity of the blood pressure waveform between two sites and requires two sets of cuffs for measuring blood pressure as well as a single-lead ECG provides a time reference. The two sets of cuffs are arranged at the hand and the ankle respectively so as to obtain the time difference between the pulses of the two sites. Then by the distance between the two sites, the Pulse Wave Velocity is obtained. Generally, the normal PWV is less than 1200 mm/sec. The above way of measurement needs to measure many physiological parameters and the procedures are complicated. The design of the medical device for measurement is also complicated due to complicated procedures. Thus the detection of vascular stiffening is not so prevalent. Therefore, people are unable to monitor conditions and changes of the blood vessels for prevention of vascular diseases.
There is a need to develop a method for detecting vascular sclerosis that not only overcomes above shortcomings but also simplifies the processes.